Fic: Finding the Line (The Line Back to You)
Fandom: Whitechapel, Torchwood
Characters: Joe Chandler/Ianto Jones
Rating: PG
Word Count: Around 930
Setting: London (Whitechapel, specifically.)
Author's Notes/Summary: Ianto Jones, formerly of Torchwood 3, works for the Whitechapel Police as Ed Buchan's assistant in the station's archive. Ianto and DI Joe Chandler have known each other for awhile, and things finally come to a head. This is a sequel to Tracing the Line (The Line Back to You); probably best to read that one first. (If anyone is interested in more of this pairing, follow @SometimesARebel and @TeaBoyIanto on twitter)
Finding the Line (the Line Back to You)
The power goes out another three times over the same amount of weeks. Different days, different times, but Joe continues to come by Ianto's to make sure he's all right. Despite Ianto's many, many protests.
"I'm not an invalid anymore, sir. My ankle sprain is healed. This isn't necessary," he claims as the call is cut off by one stubborn DI yet again. He won't hear it; he always comes by.
The first time, Joe corners him when he comes in the door, his hands all jangly and awkward as he tries to find an acceptable way to hold Ianto's face as their mouths meet. A teenager washed up from the Thames, pushed off a boat; Ianto knew Joe just needed a way to hold on. His hands had threaded into Joe's while he softened Joe's raw kiss, and Ianto squeezed Joe's hands so tight there were bruises later, but Joe had a physical pain to focus on instead; clear his mind.
The second time, Ianto had brushed a hand over Joe's back while they made an attempt at throwing dinner together in the dark. Joe's hand had curled around the side of his neck, thumb tentatively brushing Ianto's throat as he leaned in and kissed Ianto so lightly as to scarcely have made it happen.
The third time - well, the couch had seemed like as good a place as any. Joe admitted as he kissed Ianto several times in a row that there hadn't been all that many makeout sessions in his life. Ianto had no trouble indulging him. Except...
After Joe had gone home, Ianto came to a realization. It was as though the good detective needed the darkness as an excuse to kiss Ianto.
And Ianto's wondering where this ends for Joe - he's willing to be as patient as it takes, and honestly, he never really thought they'd get even this far physically - but he's not going to be something Joe's ashamed of, or scared of. He's had enough of being settled for or being ignored in his lifetime.
So when Joe arrives when the power's out once again - just after a case, and clearly feeling grubby, making tentative comments about using his shower even if it's dark, Ianto puts a firm, but calm hand to Joe's chest.
"Stop."
"Stop? I don't underst-"
"Stop whatever this is you're doing where you use these power outages to come and have a little tryst, a little snog with me, Joe. I'm onto you. I'm not here to be used."
Joe's mouth is a sweet 'o' of surprise and his brows budge together, making hills and crevasses of confusion. "Ianto...?" One brow quirks up as though he had no idea what Ianto was talking about.
And it's possible that he doesn't, but it's also possible and more likely to Ianto that Joe simply is unaware that he's doing it. "You've never kissed me with the lights on, Joe. Have you noticed that the only time you've come by the last month have been when we've had these outages?" He spells it out for Joe in plain, clear language. Ianto is not going to be swayed until he gets a proper answer. He deserves that much. Joe may not be 'out,' he may never be, but this is just the two of them. There's no one to judge here. No need to hide.
"Oh." Ianto can see the man's head duck in the film of candlelight that covers the bedroom nearby. Ianto can see a dizzying array of thoughts and expressions struggle across Joe's face, making his hands itch to map them all, document each one and file it away for safe-keeping.
It feels like a long time that Ianto waits for a more expository answer than, 'oh,' but one does not seem forthcoming and he moves to drop his hand where he'd pressed it to Joe's muscled chest. But Joe slips his over top of it, smooth and lithe as silk, a gesture Ianto might've missed were it not for the obvious position of their hands.
"I suppose... I wasn't sure I'd be up to the task with the lights on, thinking of what might go wrong, looking for dirt where there wasn't any..."
"Just trying to control as much as possible? Your environment at the very least." Ianto adds, filling in the blanks that Joe's missing, things clearing up considerably for him.
"I don't want to 'have a wobbler' on you as Miles would say," Joe murmurs, looking down at their hands. "It doesn't seem like a very auspicious start to a relationship."
Ianto smiles at that. "There, sir, you said the R-word. Things can't be all bad."
That, thankfully brings a smile to Joe's face as well.
"There's no pressure. You feel too stressed for anything, then it won't happen. I wouldn't do that to you, sir."
"That's the frustrating part, Ianto. I do want things to happen." Here, Joe's blush is as adorably charming as it can be. Ianto's aware Joe's had experience; he isn't a monk but he's also quite aware that Joe has an old-fashioned streak that he clings to.
"Then they'll happen when and where the time is right." Ianto bravely leans in and kisses his boss' cheek. "Or I will absolutely, without hesitation, call the power company and tell them you're the one who's been taking down their substations all this time. For your own gain. On purpose," Ianto whispers in a teasingly saucy tone that has Joe laughing and squeezing Ianto's hand tightly.
This time was going much more swimmingly.
Characters: Joe Chandler/Ianto Jones
Rating: PG
Word Count: Around 930
Setting: London (Whitechapel, specifically.)
Author's Notes/Summary: Ianto Jones, formerly of Torchwood 3, works for the Whitechapel Police as Ed Buchan's assistant in the station's archive. Ianto and DI Joe Chandler have known each other for awhile, and things finally come to a head. This is a sequel to Tracing the Line (The Line Back to You); probably best to read that one first. (If anyone is interested in more of this pairing, follow @SometimesARebel and @TeaBoyIanto on twitter)
Finding the Line (the Line Back to You)
The power goes out another three times over the same amount of weeks. Different days, different times, but Joe continues to come by Ianto's to make sure he's all right. Despite Ianto's many, many protests.
"I'm not an invalid anymore, sir. My ankle sprain is healed. This isn't necessary," he claims as the call is cut off by one stubborn DI yet again. He won't hear it; he always comes by.
The first time, Joe corners him when he comes in the door, his hands all jangly and awkward as he tries to find an acceptable way to hold Ianto's face as their mouths meet. A teenager washed up from the Thames, pushed off a boat; Ianto knew Joe just needed a way to hold on. His hands had threaded into Joe's while he softened Joe's raw kiss, and Ianto squeezed Joe's hands so tight there were bruises later, but Joe had a physical pain to focus on instead; clear his mind.
The second time, Ianto had brushed a hand over Joe's back while they made an attempt at throwing dinner together in the dark. Joe's hand had curled around the side of his neck, thumb tentatively brushing Ianto's throat as he leaned in and kissed Ianto so lightly as to scarcely have made it happen.
The third time - well, the couch had seemed like as good a place as any. Joe admitted as he kissed Ianto several times in a row that there hadn't been all that many makeout sessions in his life. Ianto had no trouble indulging him. Except...
After Joe had gone home, Ianto came to a realization. It was as though the good detective needed the darkness as an excuse to kiss Ianto.
And Ianto's wondering where this ends for Joe - he's willing to be as patient as it takes, and honestly, he never really thought they'd get even this far physically - but he's not going to be something Joe's ashamed of, or scared of. He's had enough of being settled for or being ignored in his lifetime.
So when Joe arrives when the power's out once again - just after a case, and clearly feeling grubby, making tentative comments about using his shower even if it's dark, Ianto puts a firm, but calm hand to Joe's chest.
"Stop."
"Stop? I don't underst-"
"Stop whatever this is you're doing where you use these power outages to come and have a little tryst, a little snog with me, Joe. I'm onto you. I'm not here to be used."
Joe's mouth is a sweet 'o' of surprise and his brows budge together, making hills and crevasses of confusion. "Ianto...?" One brow quirks up as though he had no idea what Ianto was talking about.
And it's possible that he doesn't, but it's also possible and more likely to Ianto that Joe simply is unaware that he's doing it. "You've never kissed me with the lights on, Joe. Have you noticed that the only time you've come by the last month have been when we've had these outages?" He spells it out for Joe in plain, clear language. Ianto is not going to be swayed until he gets a proper answer. He deserves that much. Joe may not be 'out,' he may never be, but this is just the two of them. There's no one to judge here. No need to hide.
"Oh." Ianto can see the man's head duck in the film of candlelight that covers the bedroom nearby. Ianto can see a dizzying array of thoughts and expressions struggle across Joe's face, making his hands itch to map them all, document each one and file it away for safe-keeping.
It feels like a long time that Ianto waits for a more expository answer than, 'oh,' but one does not seem forthcoming and he moves to drop his hand where he'd pressed it to Joe's muscled chest. But Joe slips his over top of it, smooth and lithe as silk, a gesture Ianto might've missed were it not for the obvious position of their hands.
"I suppose... I wasn't sure I'd be up to the task with the lights on, thinking of what might go wrong, looking for dirt where there wasn't any..."
"Just trying to control as much as possible? Your environment at the very least." Ianto adds, filling in the blanks that Joe's missing, things clearing up considerably for him.
"I don't want to 'have a wobbler' on you as Miles would say," Joe murmurs, looking down at their hands. "It doesn't seem like a very auspicious start to a relationship."
Ianto smiles at that. "There, sir, you said the R-word. Things can't be all bad."
That, thankfully brings a smile to Joe's face as well.
"There's no pressure. You feel too stressed for anything, then it won't happen. I wouldn't do that to you, sir."
"That's the frustrating part, Ianto. I do want things to happen." Here, Joe's blush is as adorably charming as it can be. Ianto's aware Joe's had experience; he isn't a monk but he's also quite aware that Joe has an old-fashioned streak that he clings to.
"Then they'll happen when and where the time is right." Ianto bravely leans in and kisses his boss' cheek. "Or I will absolutely, without hesitation, call the power company and tell them you're the one who's been taking down their substations all this time. For your own gain. On purpose," Ianto whispers in a teasingly saucy tone that has Joe laughing and squeezing Ianto's hand tightly.
This time was going much more swimmingly.